Church of Christ, Swansea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Church of Christ, Swansea
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1113 G.A.R. Highway, Swansea, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1833 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| MPS | Swansea MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 90000075 |
| Added to NRHP | February 16, 1990 |
The Church of Christ, Swansea is a really old and important church in Swansea, Massachusetts. People also call it the First Christian Congregational Church or the Swansea White Church. This beautiful church building was built in 1833. But the church group itself has been meeting since way back in 1680!
It's so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. This list keeps track of special historical places in the United States. The church group is part of the United Church of Christ. Rev. Holly Norwick is their current pastor.
What Does the Church Look Like?
The Church of Christ, Swansea, is in the middle of Swansea. It's on the corner of GAR Highway and Maple Avenue. The building is made of wood and has one and a half stories. It has a sloped roof and a tall, three-part tower.
The front of the church has five sections. Six tall, flat columns divide these sections. The main entrance has two doors under a rounded arch. Windows on the first floor have a special fan shape at the top. This same fan shape is also on the top of the front wall and above the windows on the sides.
The tower has three parts. The first part is plain. Above it is a smaller section called the belfry, where bells are kept. The belfry has a railing and pointed decorations at the corners. On top of the belfry is an eight-sided dome. This dome has louvered (slatted) openings. The original church building has been extended towards the back. A newer part was added to the east side.
A Long History
This church building was constructed between 1830 and 1833. The church group is one of the oldest in New England. It's special because it didn't get money or support from the town government. This was unusual in the colonial times. Back then, the church and state were not separate.
The first recorded meetings of this church group were in 1680. But they didn't officially organize until 1693. Their first meetinghouse was built in 1720. The church building you see today is their second one. It was built after a big storm blew the roof off their first building!
See also
